Daily Archives: January 30, 2025

Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court

A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress’ intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:21

Record crab price, lower volume: Commercial crabbing commences amid steep competition

The 2025 Washington commercial crab season is officially in full swing, with several local crabbers delivering their first offloads of the season on Thursday, Jan. 16, at local ports along the Long Beach Peninsula. “There are a lot of jumbos, nice and hard two-pounders. It’s a very good product.” reported Florian Mumford, captain of the F/V Vengeance. Fishermen reported strong currents and steep competition among the opening-day hurdles, leading to lower-than-normal catch volumes. However, the $5.75 opening record price from processors has been a huge relief, up from $3.50 last season. “We’re getting a really good price,” said F/V Jeannie Irene Captain Kelsey Cutting. “It’s going to make up for there not being a lot of volume.” “There’s a lot of guys from Westport and from California, because they have a lot of whale entanglement issues. They had a pot reduction [in California] and a lot of those guys are coming up and buying Oregon and Washington crab permits,” Cutting said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:27

Britt, Tuberville have an angle in fight for American fishermen

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. And that’s what Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are doing in their fight to protect American fishermen. Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tuberville (R-Auburn) joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Commerce Committee; and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to introduce the bipartisan Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:24

Provincetown Pursues 6-Year $12M Plan for MacMillan Pier

Every year, about a quarter-million passengers arrive or depart from the ferry terminal at the tip of Provincetown’s MacMillan Pier. Meanwhile, a fleet of commercial fishing vessels unload around four million pounds of seafood. Another 70,000 people board whale-watch trips to see humpback, fin, and minke whales feed in Cape Cod’s nutrient-rich waters — and that’s just one of several types of excursions that leave from the pier’s west side. This center of activity was substantially rebuilt in the early 2000s, but parts of it are much older, including the two “finger piers” that serve the town’s scallop and sea clam boats. At its Jan. 13 meeting, the select board endorsed a $12-million plan to renovate the pier and authorized the Dept. of Public Works to pursue advanced designs and permits for the project. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:35

Researchers to monitor socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery

A University of Maine-led research team has developed new indicators to measure the socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery. The study aims to deepen understanding of the industry’s challenges and guide future policies supporting the fishery and the communities it sustains. Maine’s lobster fishery, supporting thousands of jobs, is closely monitored and managed through biological surveys and industry reports. However, these statistics don’t capture the full impact of supply disruptions, market shifts and geopolitical tensions on the industry and its communities. With commercial lobster landings dropping 27 percent between 2016 and 2022, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association began exploring new ways to measure the fishery’s socioeconomic resilience, helping leaders better respond to the industry’s challenges. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:53