Daily Archives: June 26, 2023
Crab pots ‘absolutely stuffed’ as Bering Sea Dungeness fishery breaks records
While many Bering Sea crab populations are in freefall, Dungeness crab is breaking records in regions that hardly used to see them. The North Peninsula District in the eastern Bering Sea opened as a commercial Dungeness fishery in the early ‘90s. In those early days, it was common for just one or two boats to fish there — many seasons, there were none. The numbers increased modestly over the ensuing decades — but that growth has recently become exponential. “The pots that we’re seeing coming out of this fishery are absolutely stuffed with crab,” said Ethan Nichols, who works for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Like, you don’t even know how many crabs can fit in a pot.” >click to read< 20:43
Illegal Cornwall clam fishermen put public health and honest fishermen’s livelihood at risk for greed
A group of fishermen who illegally fished for high value razor clams by electrocuting them have put the livelihood of honest fishermen at risk, damaged the environment and endangered consumers’ health for greed, a judge said. Luke Anderson, 44, of St. Margarets–at-Cliffe in Kent, Steven Corcoran, 46, from Motherwell in Scotland, Marc Drew, 50, from Mousehole, Graeme Etheridge, 61, of Paul in Cornwall, Jake Richardson, 26, of Bedminster in Dorset, David Thomasson, 52, from Bodmin, Ross Waters, 47, of St Buryan, and Simon Tester, 52, from Canterbury in Kent, were all employed by boat owner David Turner (from Kent) – who is to be sentenced for illegal fishing offences in September. >click to read< 14:40
‘Alaska’s secret wild salmon prices hurt everybody,’ fisheries journalist says
A prominent fisheries journalist is calling into question the transparency of how much Alaskan salmon fishermen get paid for their catch. John Fiorillo is the executive editor of Intrafish, a global news bureau covering seafood, commercial fisheries and aquaculture industries worldwide. He argues that the secretive nature of price setting in Alaska salmon fisheries strains the relationship between fishermen and processors and puts everyone on precarious financial footing. Fiorillo joined KDLG’s Corinne Smith to talk about why seafood companies don’t usually set a base prices, and why he thinks it’s time for a change. >click to listen, or read< 12:33
“Largest bighead carp we’ve caught:” Commercial fisherman snags massive fish in Illinois
A commercial fisherman scouring the backwaters of the Illinois River last week may have caught more than he bargained for when a massive bighead carp lodged itself in his net. What’s more surprising, it was the second fish in as many days with a weight hovering around the 100-pound mark that Charlie Gilpin Jr. hauled in while fishing the same waters. Gilpin reportedly caught the gigantic bighead carp on Thursday, June 15 — one day after he caught a 90-pounder in the same area, said Jason DeBoer, a larger river fisheries ecologist with the Illinois River Biological Station, a monitoring and research facility. >click to read< 11:50
Are you eating Russian fish? Imports slip through a loophole involving China, says Sen. Dan Sullivan
The loophole in the law is the subject of Sullivan’s U.S-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act of 2023. Over 18 months ago, Sullivan first attempted to pass his U.S-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act by unanimous consent, but the bill was blocked by Senate Democrats. The current version was blocked Thursday by Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, just like it was last year. Markey’s own state seafood industry is not supporting him in his opposition to Sullivan’s legislation. In February, the Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative called upon elected leaders to sanction Russian seafood imports. “If you’re a big fisherman in Massachusetts or the great state of Alaska…you cannot export one fish to Russia. Nine years of a ban. And guess what? The United States lets Russian seafood into America almost duty free … >click to read< 10:17
Gloucester: Blessing of Fleet asks for good weather, a good catch and a safe return
The annual Blessing of the Fleet held Sunday afternoon saw several dozen vessels blessed by the Rev. James Achadinha of the Catholic Community of Gloucester and Rockport. On Sunday morning, hundreds gathered for the annual open air Mass, held before the outdoor altar at St. Peter’s Square. Following the Mass was the procession of several bands, floats and eight men who carried the statue of St. Peter on their shoulders. By the afternoon, crowds gathered along Stacy Boulevard to witness the blessing of several dozen vessels, part of the local Italian-American fishing fleet, one of the St. Peter’s Fiesta’s integral events. 8 photos, >click to read< 09:18
Will Morro Bay wind farms be the demise of Port San Luis?
I heard about the proposed Morro Bay Offshore Wind Farm awhile back but didn’t really think too much about it. But now I understand there is a plan to industrialize Port San Luis to be used as a base to assemble, operate, and maintain the 1,000 feet wind turbines for the wind farm and for the Vandenberg Space Force base to barge in rockets and components that are too large to travel by land. I am not sure this is such a good idea. I began to do some research on wind farms. This developed into hours and hours of digging through material. What I have learned is quite alarming. >click to read< 08:06
