Daily Archives: November 3, 2020
The sardine war hits a lull: Commercial fishing industry lands a victory in Pacific sardine management
The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which oversees fishing of Pacific sardines, voted unanimously in September to maintain the current sardine fishery management process that calls for reassessments after each year’s stock assessments. At the moment, the direct commercial sardine fishery is closed. “Fishery managers have failed to learn from the mistakes of history,” said Geoff Shester, senior scientist at marine conservation group Oceana,,, Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director of the California Wetfish Producers Association, argues that sardines are not overfished and “the Council’s unanimous decision shows that they understand reality, the big picture.” >click to read< 14:27
Scallops open at $16-$22 a pound
Nantucket’s commercial scalloping season opened Monday morning with a fleet of about 16 fishermen heading into Nantucket and Madaket harbors at low tide with gusty winds of 25-30 mph. The scallopers were bringing their catch to island fish markets by 2 p.m., which were charging customers $16-22 per pound for shucked scallop meat, compared to $25-26 on opening day last year. Ninety-six island fishermen took out commercial scalloping licenses this year, according to town natural resources coordinator Joanne Dodd. There were 108 commercial licenses issued last year, and 79 the year before. >click to read< 11:13
Dropping numbers of herring and mackerel have spurred calls for lower quotas and new bait
A sausage-like concoction that aims to replace a quickly dwindling source of bait for lobster traps appears to be a success with fishermen following a series of preliminary trials, according to the scientist behind it. Bait Masters Inc. has developed a new bait using 75 per cent less herring and mackerel than would usually go in a trap. It’s made up of fish, oil, and other organic matter squeezed in a biodegradable casing. >click to read< 09:49
Commercial fisherman Michael Foy free from British Virgin Islands jail after plea deal
After a five-month ordeal in which he was imprisoned in British Virgin Islands, Stafford fisherman Michael Foy accepted a plea deal Friday and is free to go, aside from paying a $4,000 fine. Foy, 60, was arrested June 8 by British Virgin Islands custom officials and charged with illegal entry for violating the islands’ COVID-19 curfew. He was subsequently charged with unregistered and unlicensed fishing, and failure to arrive at a customs port. “The goal all along was to bring Michael (Foy) home. This was an acceptable decision for all parties. He can start putting this whole ordeal behind him,” >click to read< 08:50
Statement from the Director of Public Prosecution On the Case Commissioner of Police v Michael Foy – We wish to inform the public that Defendant Michael Foy changed his plea before the Magistrate’s Court on 28th October, 2020. To provide some background, on 8th June, 2020, the Defendant Mr. Micheal Foy was apprehended in Territorial waters off of Norman Island by Her Majesty’s Customs.,, >click to read< 11/4/20 14:32
Coast Guard hoists man clinging to a piece of debris from water in Union Bay, Alaska
KODIAK, Alaska – The Coast Guard rescued a 70-year-old man from the waters of Union Bay, Alaska, northwest of Meyers Chuck, Sunday. A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted the man, who was in the water clinging to a piece of debris. “What saved this man’s life was his essential survival equipment,” said Lt. Justin Neal, a helicopter pilot from Air Station Sitka. “He had an emergency position indicating radio beacon registered in his name that allowed us to find him quickly, and his survival suit kept him warm long enough for us to rescue him.” Weather conditions at the time of the incident were up to 57 mph winds with 10 foot seas. >click to watch< 07:57
A man on board the fishing vessel Irony, fell into the water and was found clinging to a piece of debris by the US Coast Guard Sunday – >click to read<
