Daily Archives: November 9, 2021
Massive Central Coast marine sanctuary gets closer to federal protection. What’s next?
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is one step closer to becoming a reality,,, The massive proposed marine sanctuary has been in NOAA’s nomination phase since 2015. It now officially moves to the designation phase. Central Coast Congressman Salud Carbajal D-Santa Barbara, “I am thrilled the Biden administration has taken this step,,, Not all are strong proponents of the proposed marine sanctuary. In a letter to NOAA in June 2020, the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries,, “For fishermen having a NMS manage areas they fish will mean that they will always have to watch their backs, wondering what NMS management will do,” the letter said. >click to read< 17:14
A Turn of Events! Massive scallop bed discovered in Madaket
A huge bed of scallop seed, discovered off Madaket last week, offered a bit of optimism about the future of the island’s bay scallop fishery, after a less than optimistic opening week. “It is an area in Madaket Harbor that is equal to about 35 football fields and full of seed,” said Tara Riley, the town’s shellfish biologist. “I’ve never in my professional life here on Nantucket seen anything like it, how thick the seed is.” >click to read< 14:55
For Dulac crabbing family, Hurricane Ida leaves destruction and strain
With Hurricane Ida’s unrelenting winds clocking more than 170 mph, Shane Luke questioned his decision to stay aboard his 38-foot shrimp boat in Bayou Grand Caillou. Outside the tiny windows, he watched helplessly as the rollup door to the family’s concrete crab-processing building flapped in the wind like a piece of paper in front of a fan. As the mast cracked like wooden matchstick, he took refuge in engine room, hoping it would be a final line of defense against Ida’s wrath. Three hundred miles to the east in Kehmah, Texas, Trudy Luke huddled with her husband, Timmy, and the rest of her family, worrying about her son as well as what would remain of her business upon return. photos, >click to read< 11:06
Dungeness crab season opens with extra restrictions as industry sees economic consequences
From Lopez Point in Southern Monterey County to Point Conception in Santa Barbara County, Dungeness crab catching is allowed right now using crab traps, hoop nets and snares, potentially bringing in a boost to the Central Coast economy during the holidays. But due to whale activity, take using crab traps is temporarily restricted in Fishing Zones two and three from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point. Mike Conroy is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association. He said historically, the opening of Dungeness crab season would mean big business for fisheries across California. >click to read< 10:02
Arctic Corsair: Hull trawler dry-docked ahead of restoration
Arctic Corsair, Hull’s last sidewinder trawler, is to be repaired as part of the city’s £30m maritime regeneration project. The vessel has been put in dry dock after being towed from its previous berth in Alexandra Dock to Dunston’s shipyard at William Wright Dock. Restoration work on the 61-year-old trawler will take about 12 months. photos, >click to read< – Arctic Corsair high and dry for the first time in three decades – And as these photographs show, her hull will also be clearly visible to visitors with plans for them to see her up close in the dry dock itself as well as being able to go onboard. >click to read< -08:54
Looking Back: Mistrust between scientists, fishermen mars key mission
From the lightly swaying deck of his 98-foot trawler, Matt Stommel points out the scene of the crime, lit now in the deep orange of approaching sunset. Stommel’s boat, the Nobska, is docked on the Woods Hole waterfront here, with an easy view of the government laboratory charged with counting New England’s fish. It was from this perch, Stommel recalls, that he watched as workers marked a steel cable from an aging research vessel, the Albatross IV, on a freezing day in the winter of 2000. What he saw that day filled him with a skipper’s disgust. For the next two years, Stommel pleaded with scientists to check the cables and even offered to pay for the test himself. Last fall, the center admitted he was right,,, The episode, dubbed “trawlgate” on the docks, still casts a long shadow over New England’s imperiled fishery. >click to read< 07:20
