Daily Archives: April 4, 2024
Putting the Cart Before the Redfish
This was supposed to be a good-news story. In Atlantic Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, redfish have returned from the brink. Nearly 30 years after the fishery was closed, redfish populations have rebounded. Fishers, who have suffered through years of fisheries closures and widespread stock declines, have been eagerly eyeing the reemergence of the resource. But in early 2024, when Canadian fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier declared that the redfish fishery would reopen later this year, keen observers received the announcement with apprehension. And now, as the reopening draws near—the tentative start date is June 15—conservationists and fishers say that climate change, shifts in the Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem, and unfavorable market conditions mean the fishery is unlikely to be the boon many are anticipating. This change of perspective hinges, in part, on research by scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that shows redfish have stopped growing. more, >>click to read<< 12:38
Vietnam Veteran/Commercial Crab Fisherman John Randolph Staffanson of Bow, Washington, has passed away
Randy died peacefully at home in Bow, Washington, on March 20, 2024. He was born in Burlington, Washington, in 1949 to John Staffanson and D. Joanne (Denis) Staffanson. His parents predeceased him. Randy enlisted in the U.S. Army, and after attending Boot Camp at Fort Lewis, Washington, served with the 82nd Airborne Division, as a Ranger. He served for a year in the Vietnam War. Randy was a commercial crab fisherman for most of his life, fishing in the Bering Sea in Alaska, and the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia. more, >>click to read<< 10:49
Canada, Alaska suspend fishing of Yukon River chinook salmon for 7 years
In a bid to help the recovery of the Yukon River chinook salmon run, the federal government and the State of Alaska have agreed to implement a seven-year moratorium on fishing the species. The suspension, in effect for one full life cycle of a salmon, includes commercial fishing and recreational angling in the Yukon River mainstem and its Canadian tributaries. Representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game signed the agreement on Monday. The number of chinook salmon crossing the international border into Canadian waters has for years plummeted, with the last two years yielding some of the worst tallies recorded on the Yukon River. more, >>click to read<< 09:06
Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association awarded funding for decarbonization
An organization that supports Alaskan small boat fishermen will be getting more than half a million dollars to help them deal with the challenges of climate change, and decrease the fishing industry’s carbon footprint. The money is an appropriations award from U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. The funding is going to Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, or ALFA. But the group isn’t just made up of longliners. Members include all kinds of commercial fishermen. Linda Behnken is executive director. She says that instead of using the money to upgrade processing plants and boats, they plan to use the money to identify ways they can support the fishing industry. more, >>click to read<< 07:58
Irish MEP Calls for “Use It, or Lose It” Principle for EU Fishing Regulations
Following the announcement by EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius that he has ordered a “full evaluation” of the Common Fisheries Policy and reports that 43,000 tonnes of fish were uncaught by Member States, other than Ireland, European fishing regulations under the CFP should have a “Use It, or Lose It” principle according to MEP, Billy Kelleher, whose constituency includes coastal communities in Munster and South Leinster. . more, >>click to read<< 06:52
