Daily Archives: December 24, 2024
Governor Newsom requests federal fishery disaster relief to support albacore fishing industry
Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a request for a federal fishery disaster declaration to support the albacore fishing industry. Last year marked the worst season for the West Coast North Pacific pole and troll albacore fishery in over 30 years. The California albacore fishery declined 71% in volume and 65% in value. Recognizing the importance of albacore to California’s commercial fisheries, Governor Newsom joined the governors of Washington and Oregon and submitted the request to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. If approved, the federal fishery disaster declaration would begin the process of providing needed relief to fishing communities financially impacted by the decline in albacore fishing. links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:36
Disabled lobster licence holder wins again against DFO in court
T
he Federal Court has once again faulted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for how it has handled the cases of disabled lobster licence holders who sought lengthy exemptions from federal rules that require them to be on board the boat when it is fishing. In a pair of decisions this week, Justice Richard Southcott ruled the deputy minister didn’t properly take into account whether two Nova Scotia fishermen would be discriminated against when the department indicated it would stop allowing substitutes to fill in for them. Federal provisions allow a licence holder with a medical condition to be replaced by a substitute on board, but only for five years. Once that time was up, Robinson was told he could no longer use a stand-in. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:38
VIEWPOINT: Offshore Wind Turbines – Trouble on the Horizon?
The state’s actions to facilitate a project that will provide no electricity to Delaware and makes one wonder how disruption to our fragile offshore and onshore ecosystem will benefit the citizens of Delaware. As in the contract, US Wind will “monitor” the damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays. This in itself is an admission to damage such as changes to nutrient levels, pollutants from construction degrading water quality, damage to fish, shellfish, bay grasses, and other marine life that most believe will not help heal the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays but further add to the detrimental changes for minimal actual benefit to Delawareans. Additionally, wind turbines broadcast underwater low-frequency vibrations and create large electromagnetic fields around the miles-long high-voltage transmission lines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Representative Jeff Hilovsky 10:41
John DeMont: The magic of Christmas is the people who make it happen
I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there is something magical about Christmas. The magic, in part, is that it somehow happens every year in our house with no discernible help from me. I say this with shame, not pride. Yet, in some ways, it is for the best. The gift giving — which requires a razor’s edge balance of taste, pragmatism and good will — falls, for good reason, as lightly as a snowflake upon my shoulders. At this point, a thought often occurs to me similar to the one passing through my mind when I head downstairs on Christmas morning: that for this magic to occur, extraordinary people must do remarkable things. In the case of the fisher folk, they must rise in the dark and don layers of clothes. They must drive to a wharf, then they must steam kilometres out on the wild Atlantic Ocean, where they then will hoist up traps from the depths. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:22
Baton Rouge restaurants found serving mislabeled imported shrimp — and charging more
Following a pattern of mislabeling seafood, new genetic testing found that nearly a third of randomly selected Baton Rouge restaurants were advertising imported shrimp as Gulf of Mexico catch. For years, shrimpers and advocates have been raising alarm over cheap imports straining the declining industry. Around 90 percent of shrimp sold in the United States is farm-raised and imported, according to the Louisiana Shrimp Association. SeaD Consulting, a company that has been using rapid genetic testing across the region, sampled menu items from 24 restaurants around Baton Rouge and found that seven were promoting imported shrimp as local. “This genetic testing is a good sign to back up what we’ve been saying all this time,” Acy Cooper, the president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, said. “They’re selling this stuff off the backs of Louisiana fishermen.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:44
