Daily Archives: August 2, 2024
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $105 Million for West Coast and Alaska Salmon
Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced more than $105 million in recommended funding for 14 new and continuing salmon recovery projects and programs. Located along the West Coast and in Alaska, these state and tribal efforts will be funded through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF). The funds include Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations as well as $34.4 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $7.5 million under the Inflation Reduction Act, and will aid programs and projects in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington that include habitat restoration, stock enhancement, sustainable fisheries and research and monitoring. “This $105 million investment, made possible thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, will build on decades of salmon recovery work, while helping Pacific coast Tribes and Alaska Natives sustain their communities and cultural traditions in the face of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This is a result of the most ambitious climate agenda in history, and I am proud that nearly half of all funds in this announcement are being awarded to Tribal applicants.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:55
Quinlan Defends Processing of Disputed Dead Crab Prior to Court Case
One of the largest seafood producers in the province is firing back at the provincial government after the company was charged with processing and transporting dead snow crab. Quinlan Brothers of Bay de Verde was charged with four counts of marketing fish unfit for human consumption following inspections by provincial officials on May 30th and June 29th. But company president Robin Quinlan compares the actions of the inspectors to that of judge, jury and executioner. Quinlan believed the product — about 52,000 pounds of crab with a market value of $500,000 – would be properly stored until he had his day in court. But that was not the case. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:44
Grand jury looking into questions around NH Ports head Marconi
Prosecutors from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office have convened a grand jury and are subpoenaing witnesses as part of an investigation into Geno Marconi, director of the New Hampshire Division of Ports and Harbors, according to multiple sources who have testified before the jury. Marconi has not been charged with any crimes, and the exact nature of the Attorney General’s investigation isn’t clear. Marconi, a longtime fixture on the Seacoast who was first hired as operations manager of the ports in 1995, was placed on administrative leave by the Pease Development Authority in April. A spokesperson for the Authority said it could not comment on the action due to confidentiality rules. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:50
Massive B.C. landslide could mean new barriers for struggling salmon
An expert on British Columbia’s salmon populations says the massive landslide that blocked off part of Canada’s largest sockeye salmon run has created an unprecedented situation potentially putting the already struggling fish at even more risk. Scott Hinch, the associate dean at the University of British Columbia’s Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, said the debris piled 30 metres high and 600 metres long blocking the Chilcotin River could cause problems for chinook and sockeye populations both while the water is being held back, and when it eventually bursts free. “These are natural events, but what’s unusual about this event is it’s occurring at a time when the rivers are way warmer than they used to be,” he said in an interview Thursday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:23
Lifelong Waterman William Lee “Billy” Savage of Ocean City, MD. has passed away
William Lee Savage, known to family, friends and fishing buddies as “Billy”, passed away peacefully at home June 25, 2024. His beloved wife, Margie, was by his side just as she had been throughout their 42 years of marriage. Billy was born in Chincoteague, Virginia, on Nov. 2, 1945, and remained a lifelong waterman. He was a graduate of McDonogh Military Academy and attended Pfeiffer College. In his 78 years, he was a commercial fisherman and restaurateur. In the 1960s-70s, he mated on sportfishing boats ranging from Maryland to The Bahamas. His fishing sense and dedication made him a sought-after mate on local sportfishers to high-profile clients. His haul of white marlin set a record that was only broken in recent years. He became a commercial fisherman in the 1970s-80s, running the “Flora Kirwan” out of the OC Commercial Harbor and continuing his family’s tradition of restaurant ownership. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<09:09
Cocaine sharks: The hidden drug problem in the Gulf of Maine and oceans
An article on the BBC and subsequently picked up by the New York Times just reinforced what I have been teaching for a long time. The article reports on a finding from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which found high levels of cocaine in 13 Brazilian sharp-nosed sharks tested near Rio de Janeiro. So, how did the drugs get into the livers and muscles of the sharks? I can think of three possibilities. First, illegal drug labs might be discharging wastewater into the harbor. Second, sharks could have ingested floating cocaine packets dumped to evade authorities. Lastly, and most likely, local sewage discharge might be releasing large quantities of urine from drug users. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12
The fallout from Vineyard Wind’s broken turbine blade
When Nantucket residents began posting photos of the fiberglass and foam littering their beaches on the morning of July 16, everyone in the offshore wind world — proponents and opponents, alike — knew the industry was about to face a very public test in confidence. The debris had fallen from a damaged turbine blade at the nearby Vineyard Wind project. The part, made and installed by GE Vernova, had broken three days earlier, and no one really knew why. The project’s developer, also called Vineyard Wind, scrambled to clean up the mess and assure the public that the material all over their pristine beaches was “non-toxic.” But more and more photos of the bright green debris washed up on social media, many carrying captions like “It’s everywhere” and “STOP #Bigwind!” Soon, a picture of the broken turbine itself surfaced. The 351-foot blade had snapped about 65 feet from the base and what remained of it hung slackly, dangling over the ocean. photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
