Daily Archives: April 15, 2025
Commercial salmon season is shut down — again. Will California’s iconic fish ever recover?
Facing the continued collapse of Chinook salmon, officials today shut down California’s commercial salmon fishing season for an unprecedented third year in a row. Under the decision by an interstate fisheries agency, recreational salmon fishing will be allowed in California for only brief windows of time this spring. This will be the first year that any sportfishing of Chinook has been allowed since 2022. Today’s decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council means that no salmon caught off California can be sold to retail consumers and restaurants for at least another year. In Oregon and Washington, commercial salmon fishing will remain open, although limited. “From a salmon standpoint, it’s an environmental disaster. For the fishing industry, it’s a human tragedy, and it’s also an economic disaster,” said Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, an industry organization that has lobbied for river restoration and improved hatchery programs. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:54
DFO claims it’s not offering Sipekne’katik new fishing licences, wharves, lobster pounds, exclusive fishing zones
The Sipekne’katik chief and council have been presented an offer, allegedly from the federal government, that would drastically increase the First Nation’s fisheries access. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which has been in confidential negotiations with Sipekne’katik, claims no offer has been made. An internal summary of the offer, along with a letter by band lawyer Michael McDonald stating that the offer would need to go to the community for consultation and a vote, was posted to Facebook on Sunday. “When I look at this offer, I envision us having a wharf in LFA 32 with a lobster pound right there and a fish plant on the site. Reserve land all around it,” reads the letter by MacDonald to the chief and council. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:21
Flagler Beach Grounded Shrimp Boat Latest in Hardships for Local Fisherman
Captain Corey Thomas was with one friend and a dog when the motor cut out on the Miss Montie, their 50-foot shrimp boat off the coast of North Florida on Sunday. The crew attempted to stabilize their boat by dropping anchor, but the anchor unfortunately broke causing them to drift helplessly in the ocean. This occurred about 26 miles north of the boat’s eventual resting place near the Beverly Beach/Flagler Beach city limit at 6:00 pm Sunday. The crew on board was rescued by the United States Coast Guard and taken to dry land before the ship grounded. Once it arrived on local shores, it was searched by the Flagler Beach Fire Department who stated Sunday evening that they found nothing. Plans are currently in motion to tow the boat in the coming days. Thomas said they launched from St. Augustine. The failure doesn’t appear to have been the fault of the crew. A GOFUNDME Page has been established. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:29
Eugenio Piñeiro Soler Appointed to Lead NOAA Fisheries
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, with concurrence from the White House, named Eugenio Piñeiro Soler as Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. Mr. Piñeiro Soler has assumed his new position, taking the helm from Acting Assistant Administrator Emily Menashes, who will return to her previous position as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations. As Assistant Administrator, Mr. Piñeiro Soler will oversee the federal agency responsible for managing our nation’s marine fisheries and conserving protected marine species. Mr. Piñeiro Soler has enjoyed a long and illustrious life in fisheries management. In a career that has spanned over 30 years, he has been a successful commercial fisherman, fisheries captain, and entrepreneur in his home island of Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:04
Fishing for votes: Why NL’s oldest industry is once again an important federal election issue
For as long as there has been a place called Newfoundland and Labrador, there have been issues with how its fishery has been managed, and it remains an issue during the latest federal election campaign in 2025. The issues these days mostly revolve around the science behind species management, how the total allowable catches for each species are decided and who can fish where and when. Of course, there is also the ongoing friction between harvesters and buyers, including fair prices and who should shoulder the inherent risks of the seafood market, but those things tend to fall more within provincial jurisdiction. Harvesters have taken issue, one way or the other, with just about every science-based decision made by the federal Department of Fisheries and Science. The seal hunt is also a significant issue with a long history in Newfoundland and Labrador. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
South Carolina shrimpers see tariffs as opportunity, want targeted approach
“The first news of the tariffs, we were all excited,” Bryan Jones, a first-generation shrimper who lives in McClellanville, said. “We certainly empathize with anybody that views this as a negative downturn…but [with] this suffering that our industry has had for the last 20 years, our view is that it will provide a lifeline. The domestic shrimping industry has suffered in recent decades as foreign countries like India, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Vietnam dump billions of pounds of shrimp into the market, thereby artificially deflating the price. “It’s squeezing us out of the market where we once had 80% of the market share 20 years ago, we’re now down to 6%,” Jones said, who also serves as vice president of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association. “That’s really stifling to, you know, the people that are trying to make a living and feed their families here in these rural coastal communities.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:53
