Daily Archives: April 16, 2022

Death of the scallops: How a Kiwi delicacy was driven to the brink of collapse

Just a decade ago, the scallop (tipa) fishing industry in New Zealand was thriving, with population numbers holding strong and quotas so loose that many were unable to reach their catch limit. The situation just 10 years later has changed drastically, with the Government forced to take immediate action, shutting down the majority of scallop fisheries in order to preserve a population that is on the brink of collapse. For now, scallops are practically off the menu. There’s a real economic concern for fishing companies, who have slowly had their commercial options taken away and are left to grapple with what to do next. Those boats relying on scallop fishing have been left in a precarious situation, Lawson says, and pivoting from scallop fishing to another kind of catch would likely require a total boat re-fit, which could be a costly risk. >click to read< 20:02

Retired Commercial Fisherman Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., of Westport has passed away

Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., 83, longtime Westport resident and former commercial fisherman, passed away on March 9, 2022, at his home in Westport, Washington. Jerry was born on Feb. 3, 1939, in Hayward, Wisconsin, the first boy born in the Hayward Indian Hospital and the eldest of seven children. In 1971, Jerry married the love of his life Joyce Johnson. They enjoyed working together in the commercial fishing industry and spending time in Alaska during fishing season. They built a beautiful life together, that included large family gatherings and spoiling all of the grandkids. Joyce passed away in 2007. Jerry built and owned several boats including Jer’s Joy, Lady Joyce and Early Dawn. >click to read< 15:04

Canada ignored warnings of virus infecting farmed and wild salmon

Canada was warned in 2012 by its own scientists that a virus was infecting both farmed and wild salmon, but successive governments ignored the expert advice, saying for years that risks to salmon were low. Justin Trudeau’s government has said it will phase out open-pen industrial fish farms off the coast of British Columbia by 2025. But both his government and the previous Conservative government were in possession of a newly released report that linked large-scale farms and wild salmon to the highly contagious Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV). In 2012, biologists with the department of fisheries and oceans investigated the presence of the virus, which has been found in both farmed and wild salmon. but successive governments ignored the expert advice, saying for years that risks to salmon were low. >click to read< 11:48

Whale entanglements, crab gear, and what can be done

Whale populations are recovering, and whales are on the move early this year. That’s led to five humpback whale entanglements in crab gear, prompting the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to close the commercial Dungeness crab season two months early. With a population that is “definitely recovering” and five entanglements over a month and a half, Bartling conceded, “We’re in uncharted territory.” Three of the entanglements were confirmed with commercial California Dungeness crab gear, while the other two were “not identifiable, but the gear is consistent with what could be commercial Dungeness crab gear.” >click to read< 10:15

French fisherman won’t pay for British Brexit failure

Since the beginning of the year, Britain and France have been at odds about post-Brexit fishing licences for UK seas. The talks are still ongoing, but both parties have threatened to take action, and mistranslations haven’t helped matters. If they obtain a discretionary permit issued by Britain, French fishermen may continue to fish between six and 12 miles off the UK shore and off Guernsey and Jersey until 2026 under the Brexit trade and cooperation agreement (TCA). >click to read< 08:44