Daily Archives: February 24, 2025
NCFA Weekly Update for February 24, 2025: Scientific Uncertainty/Important Blue Crab Update
Abundance vs Stock Status. Last week we highlighted the high variability in estimates of Speckled Trout abundance from one stock assessment to the next, using Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) estimates for 2008 from each of the three assessments to show the uncertainty. The 2009 assessment estimated ~800,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2015 assessment estimated ~3,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2022 assessment estimated ~4,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. Remember, these highly unreliable SSB estimates are compared to the SSB threshold, or level of abundance considered to be sustainable, to determine if a stock is overfished and if reductions are needed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:29
Hampton Bays business owner worries closed Ponquogue Bridge will impact his livelihood
A business owner in the Hampton Bays is worrying about economic impacts that the closure of the Ponquogue Bridge will have on his livelihood. The Ponquoge Bridge was suddenly closed to cars and pedestrians Friday after a Department of Transportation crew’s routine inspection found the concrete girders were deteriorating. “This is actually a lifeline for not only Hampton Bays — this is a lifeline for the Hamptons and Long Island as well,” said John Capuano, of Hampton Bays. Now that the Ponquogue Bridge is closed in Hampton Bays, Capuano wonders how it will affect the area if it stays closed in the warmer months. “Not only to the people trying to enjoy the area but the economics of all the businesses in town: The pizza parlors, the motels, they’re just not going to have the business,” he said. Capuano is the captain of the Shinnecock Star, a daily fishing boat in Hampton Bays. He says if the bridge doesn’t open by the spring, his business will be impacted. more, >>Click to read<< 13:29
Notice to all Federal Scallop interested parties: Council Seeks Input at Scallop Strategic Plan Visioning Sessions
The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking input for the development of a Scallop Strategic Plan. One of four sessions is scheduled to take place during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Rockport, Maine: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street To help staff with logistics, the public can respond to an attendance form. The full press release, corrected with working links, can be found here. >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:15
Chiefs deny they encouraged Indigenous people to poach baby eels
Four Indigenous chiefs are denying the allegations of a New Brunswick businesswoman that they encouraged members of their communities to poach baby eels during a tumultuous period on Charlotte County rivers in the spring of 2022. In a statement of defence filed late last month at the Court of King’s Bench in Saint John, the Wolastoqey chiefs rejected the claims made by Mary Ann Holland, the owner of Brunswick Aquaculture and Alder Seafood, in one of three lawsuits she’s filed against them. “The Defendants deny that they collectively or any one of them individually authorized, directed or condoned fishing and/or related activities on any of the Rivers,” states the document, filed by OKT lawyer Nick Kennedy of Toronto. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:12
The American lobster’s baby bust
The Gulf of Maine is home to one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States. Every year, American lobsters (Homarus americanus) from the gulf fuel a multibillion-dollar industry, buoying fishing communities across New England and across the border into Atlantic Canada. The Gulf of Maine is also heating up faster than almost any other marine environment on Earth. In the gulf, rising water temperatures and shifting currents have already triggered shocking declines in other mainstay catches, such as northern shrimp, and put surprising new species in fish traps. Now, ongoing research led by Joshua Carloni, a marine biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, shows a potentially dire situation brewing for the area’s most valuable species—the lobster. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:36
Fisheries and Oceans Canada expects to flounder under mounting climate costs
Hurricane Fiona left a trail of destruction across the Atlantic Coast in September 2022 wreaking havoc on wharves, fisheries, vessels, and gear and the federal government’s pocketbook. In response to the climate disaster, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has had to earmark more than $563 million to deal with Fiona’s aftermath, including damage to 142 out of 184 small craft harbours on the Atlantic coast. With a shrinking budget, the department is bracing for more severe financial and logistical challenges as the climate crisis intensifies. Yet the federal agency is already facing a yearly budget deficit of more than $100 million that hamstrings its ability to maintain its critical buildings, equipment, and other assets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
