Daily Archives: March 14, 2024
Federal judge to rule on reduction in trawler halibut bycatch
A U.S. District court judge is expected to issue a decision this spring on a lawsuit filed by the Groundfish Forum challenging a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) decision setting abundance-based limits on halibut bycatch in the Amendment 80 Bering Sea trawl fishery. The Groundfish Forum, based in Seattle, filed its complaint with the U.S. District Court in Anchorage on Dec. 19, challenging the new halibut bycatch rules that were first adopted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and subsequently approved by NMFS. On Feb. 29, the Halibut Defense Alliance intervened on the side of NMFS over concerns about the number of halibut taken as bycatch by Amendment 80 vessels in the Bering Sea, saying the limits on halibut bycatch would ensure more equitable access to halibut fisheries. The alliance is a broad coalition of commercial harvesters, charter operators, processors and community organizations representing halibut-dependent communities in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. more, >>click to read<< 19:52
Crab grab nets federal conviction
A Tangier man pleaded guilty today to overharvesting Chesapeake Blue Crabs in Virginia waters and selling them in Maryland in violation of the Lacey Act. According to court documents, between March 20, 2023, to April 20, 2023, James Warren Eskridge, 45, exceeded the maximum harvest and sale of blue crabs to a seafood buyer on 16 occasions. Chesapeake Blue Crabs are the most valuable fishery in the Chesapeake Bay and, as such, those fishing blue crabs are subject to strict limits by law. At the time of Eskridge’s violations, Virginia permitted licensed commercial crabbers to harvest up to 27 bushels of blue crab per day, regardless of the number of licenses crabbers present on a single vessel. Eskridge operated the fishing vessel Rebecca Jean II with two mates out of Tangier Island, Virginia. On April 11, 2023, law enforcement observed Eskridge and his mates offload 60 bushels – more than double the Virginia limit – in Crisfield, Maryland. On April 11, 2023, Eskridge and his mates returned to Crisfield and offloaded 56 bushels. On April 13, 2023, they returned again and offloaded 58 bushels more. more, >>click to read<< 16:36
FFAW Calls for Drastic Changes to Provincial Processing Licensing Amid Harvester Protests in St. John’s
ST. JOHN’S, NL – FFAW-Unifor is calling on the provincial government to listen to protesting fish harvesters by lifting all processing caps in the province, grant new processing licenses, and remove restrictions on outside buyers. “Fish harvesters in our province have been disadvantaged long enough. The situation has gotten so severe in recent years that a very large number are now facing imminent bankruptcy due to the cartel-like environment processing companies enjoy here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” explains Greg Pretty, FFAW-Unifor. “When fish harvesters cannot find a buyer for their catch – we have a serious problem. This province cannot have a thriving fishery if fish harvesters are not succeeding, and the current wall of opposition they face makes success unattainable,” Pretty says. more, >>click to read<< 15:01
Key FFAW rep steps down amid ongoing crab price formula negotiations
A key negotiator for the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union has stepped down amid ongoing tense and highly anticipated crab price formula negotiations between the harvesters’ union and the Association of Seafood Producers. As first reported, FFAW negotiator Jake Rice has resigned. The news was flagged in a Facebook post in a fishery group by harvester Jason Sullivan. Sullivan wrote FFAW secretary treasurer Jason Spingle is likely to take the reins. For weeks they’ve stood on the steps in front of Confederation Building and flooded the public gallery of the House of Assembly to voice their concerns over the handling of the fishery, now just weeks away from the start of crab season. Harvesters are calling for an open market — the ability to take their catch, regardless of species, to whichever buyer will take the product, whether that be within the province or outside it. more, >>click to read<< 13:30
Oregon congressional members ask feds for more comment time on offshore wind energy sites
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, all Democrats, said residents need more time according to input they’ve received. In a letter on Tuesday, they asked the agency’s director, Elizabeth Klein, to extend the comment period to give Oregonians who would be affected by the offshore sites a chance to fully engage in the process. “Tribes, the fishing community and others throughout Oregon’s coastal communities are currently working to develop comments that will 
inform the environmental assessment for the wind energy areas, including impacts to the ocean ecosystem, environment, fisheries, viewsheds and other important resources,” they said. The sites are part of the Biden administration’s plan to build up 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, with a total of 30 gigawatts deployed by 2030. more, >>click to read<< 12:01
Made in Maine: a smoked pollock dip that benefits Maine’s fishing community
A partnership between the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and Dunstan Smokehouse is putting a sustainable and under-utilized Maine-caught fish on more dinner tables. Smoked pollock is the star ingredient of a new dip available on retail shelves from Scarborough to Brunswick. “Pollock is a delicious fish, and certainly under-utilized,” Jim Hartley, the owner/operator of Dunstan Smokehouse where the dip is made. “Haddock is a little prettier.” “We came up with a really neat recipe that we thought was delicious based on a Scottish Finnan haddie recipe.” Vlideo, more, >click to read<< 10:40
The Future of Florida’s Commercial Fishing Industry Summit 2024
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management is hosting a commercial fishing industry summit called The Future of Florida’s Commercial Fisheries on May 21–22, 2024, in St. Augustine, Florida. We are honored to bring together those individuals and companies providing the world’s finest shrimp, crabs, lobsters, and finfish throughout the globe: the men and women of Florida’s commercial fishing industry! This summit will provide fishermen, dock owners, dealers, and other related businesses an opportunity to network, gain information, and collaboratively envision what Florida’s commercial industry will look like in 5 to 10 years. 09:48
Late ‘Wicked Tuna’ captain’s family, friends request support for jetty project instead of flowers
Following the recent loss of two local fishermen around the dangerous Oregon Inlet, grassroots efforts are underway to revitalize the controversial jetty project that the federal government shut down over two decades ago. “In lieu of flowers, the family requests your support in establishing a jetty project for Oregon Inlet,” states the online obituary for Charles “Charlie” Marshall Griffin, also known as “Grif.” The 62-year-old, famed boat captain from Nags Head appeared on “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks,” a National Geographic reality TV series. Chad Dunn, 36, of Wanchese, remains missing after being onboard during the same voyage, and the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for him the evening of March 5. Both Griffin and Dunn were well-respected watermen who had crossed the inlet countless times, their peers told state legislators as they shared frustration with the lack of dredging due to permitting red tape at a meeting in Manteo last Wednesday. more, >>click to read<< 08:47
Warming waters send Gaspé’s northern shrimp stock plummeting, spelling trouble for Quebec fishermen
Every year, Fourchette Bleue, which promotes what it calls “under-exploited” marine species in the St. Lawrence for consumption, releases a list of recommended sustainable seafood products for consumers. Toad crabs, oysters and green sea urchins all made the cut this year, but for the first time, the northern shrimp did not. That’s because stocks of the shrimp have taken a major dive in recent years, causing concern in the local fishing industry as Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) floats the idea of potentially closing fisheries in the near future. more, >>click to read<< 07:28
