Tag Archives: Erik Anderson
New Hampshire fishermen worried about new guidelines to protect right whales
New Hampshire fishermen are raising concerns about additional restrictions they’ll be facing in order to protect the critically endangered right whale. The president of the New Hampshire Fish Council said guidelines are being worked out between the industry and National Marine Fisheries Service, but he said there has never been a recorded incident between a right whale and a New Hampshire fisherman. “It’s hard to swallow the fact that we never harmed a right whale, never entangled a right whale and yet we’ve got to meet all these guidelines,” said lobster fisherman Ward Byrne. video, >click to read/watch<
‘Environmental Justice’ To Be Part Of NH Offshore Wind Farm Projects – Environmental Justice means NO!
As the Commission To Study Offshore Wind and Port Development approaches a deadline for submitting recommendations to the governor and the legislature, questions about the role of fishermen and others who may be impacted by the project continue to arise. During the commission’s Sept. 27 meeting at the Pease International Tradeport, Erik Anderson, representing the N.H. Commercial Fishermen’s Association, pressed Mark Sanborn, assistant commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services, about worries that wind towers might disrupt the livelihoods of New Hampshire fishermen. “If we ever move forward with offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, there will be a representative of the commercial fishermen from the New Hampshire side, I promise you,” Sanborn assured him. >click to read< 16:49
New Hampshire: Lobstermen lament coming whale entanglement regulations
Seacoast lobstermen weighed in on the proposal at a meeting Thursday night in Portsmouth with the state Department of Fish and Game. They’re still skeptical that their fishery poses enough of a threat to the whales to merit new regulations. And they want more details and input on the new, more easily breakable lines or gear they’ll have to use to keep whales from being entangled. >click to read< 07:10
Seabrook: New Hampshire Fishermen deserve voice in offshore wind plans
Selectmen are abandoning a task force looking at offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, demanding their local fishermen have more direct inclusion.,, Fishing communities like in Seabrook have expressed strong concerns about the turbines’ impact on the ocean and the fish they harvest for a living.,, They said in their letter to the OSI they wanted fishermen to have a direct seat on the task force, which is comprised of elected officials from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. >click to read< 18:08
Fishermen did a good job freeing Owl
I’ve read the articles concerning “Owl” the whale and conclude that another opinion needs to be expressed that was not present in the article, which conveyed a negative perspective to the fishing industry. I’ll admit from the start that I was not witness to the event but from what was described and my experience in the fishing industry there are reasonable conclusions that weren’t considered in the description of the event. While it was stated that “65 years of whale watching experience” was present I’d dare bet that there was little to no experience with fishing knowledge to understand what the crew of the fishing vessel did to prevent the event from escalating to a worse condition.>click to read<by Erik Anderson 19:56
Marine scientists beholden to conservation group funding
The Dec. 27 Associated Press article 
“Fight looming over New England fishing territories,” shed a public light on another upcoming regulatory matter. In my view, there was a lot of “between the lines” information that warrants clarification in that article since it indicated that 138 scientists have taken a specific position. I have no malice toward good and sound science, as well as the individuals that are dedicated to its pursuit. Read the rest here 06:44
UPDATED – New Hampshire’s small commercial fishing fleet is reeling – at odds with NOAA over cod reductions
“The fishermen vehemently dispute this latest assessment,” said David Goethel, captain of the F/V Ellen Diane out of Hampton Harbor. He’s served on the New England Fisheries Management Council and fished for more than two decades, and said the new measures may put him out of business. “It’s a completely idiotic program,” he said. “It is intended to kill fish and kill fishermen.” Read the rest here 09:09 and On the Seacoast, cod fishing blues read it here 10:23
Winter tough on many levels for local fishing fleet – Eric Anderson
Those committed to the profession still contribute greatly to this local economy with their spending, which make them an integral and longstanding participant in this community. Regardless of how fast changes are taking place, communit
ies need to be careful not to lose their founding industries that add so much to the local identity. I hope that most might agree the fishing industry presents a positive component of our community that needs attention and elevated exposure, considering the variety of challenges that it endures. Read more
