Tag Archives: proposal
Proposal to Develop Commercial Fish Farms in Santa Barbara Channel Concerns Local Fishermen
A number of Santa Barbara fishermen and concerned citizens are protesting a federal directive that could open local waters to as many as eight commercial fish farms in the Santa Barbara Channel, a move they say would harm not only marine life but also the livelihoods of existing fishermen. “I fish out in the Channel almost every single day,” said Eric Hodge, a local commercial fisherman. “If these fish farms are built, it would directly affect my job of putting food on Californians’ plates. Not only would they make it harder for me to fish on a day-to-day basis, but these corporations could undercut me at the market as well, making it harder for me to make a living.” >click to read< 22:00
Fresh fish market proposed for Oceanside harbor to sell Seafood direct to consumers!
A group of local commercial fishermen hopes to create a weekly market at the Oceanside harbor where they could sell their catch directly to consumers. The idea sprang up as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, which closed sit-down restaurants everywhere. That greatly reduced the fishermen’s sales and left them looking for new outlets. Some of them decided to cut out the middleman and try selling their products to people at the harbor.,, Among the issues to be decided is whether the market will be overseen by a board of directors, elected by the fishermen, that would establish rules and guidelines for the venture,,, >click to read< 10:41
Labrador fleet wants separate quota for northern cod – FFAW and FISH-NL do not support
Fishers from the 2J fleets partnered with the Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company to make the proposal. In 2018, a 9,500-tonne limit was placed on the northern cod stewardship fishery for fishing zones 2J3KL.,,, Dwight Russell, a Mary’s Harbour fisherman, is chair of the 2J fishers. He told The Northern Pen the fleet is just looking for a fair share.,, Russell says he doesn’t believe the 2J cod fishing fleet, historically, has been given much opportunity to grow. He says if they could get a higher share of the total Northern cod quota, it would allow the industry to grow in the region. >click to read>08:34
Think you’ve seen it all? Trudeau government proposes opening St. Lawrence marine protected area to oil exploration
The Liberal government is proposing to allow oil and gas exploration in a new marine protected area that it plans to establish where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the Atlantic Ocean. Ottawa released an impact statement Friday on its Laurentian Channel protected area, a 11,619-square-kilometre stretch of ocean in which commercial activity would be limited in order to protect vulnerable marine life. The establishment of the marine protected area (MPA) is part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise to set aside 10 per cent of Canada’s coastal waters by 2020. But some environmental groups and ocean scientists argue Ottawa is undermining the effort by allowing future oil and gas exploration in the zone. click here to read the story 19:57
Massachusetts: Time to lift restrictions on state’s lobster processing industry
State lawmakers have a rare chance to give a sector of the state’s beleaguered fishing industry a boost and create a few jobs along the way. Tucked into the Senate version of the budget now being negotiated on Beacon Hill is an amendment that would allow state seafood wholesalers to expand their processing of raw and frozen lobsters, putting Bay State companies on par with their counterparts in other New England states and Canada’s Maritime provinces. Massachusetts firms operate under a confusing mishmash of lobster-processing regulations. A proposal by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, would allow for the processing of all manner of lobster tails and other parts in Massachusetts. click here to read the story. 09:16
Maine lobstermen oppose increase in cost of commercial fishing licenses
A proposal to increase the cost of commercial fishing licenses to fund scientific research in a lean budget year is drawing fire from Maine lobstermen. Julie Eaton, a 30-year lobster boat captain from Deer Isle, told a legislative panel at the State House on Friday that a 30 percent increase in lobster license fees would be too much on top of all the other costs of doing business, ranging from $125 to replace lost traps to $185 for monthly oil changes to bait bills that have doubled in the last year alone. The Maine Department of Marine Resources is seeking to increase lobster license fees about 30 percent, which would generate roughly $600,000 in new revenues. That money would be used to expand state lobster research and protect other department units, like the Maine Marine Patrol, despite budget cuts ordered by Gov. Paul LePage to offset the anticipated effect of a new minimum wage law and state school spending initiative. Continue reading the article here 09:24
Proposal For At Sea Observers Could Further Hurt U.S. Purse Seiner Fleet
A new fishery rule that the federal government is moving to implement is expected to deal another financial blow to the US purse seiner fleet, which is already faced with stiff competition from foreign vessels such as the Chinese fleet, who are subsidized by their government, China. US National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) has proposed a rule which would require Observers to be on board US purse seiners fishing in the western and central Pacific ocean (WCPO). The proposal was issued last week under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act. It is a three-pronged proposed rule, which includes a move to establish restrictions in 2016 and 2017 on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by U.S. purse seine vessels in the WCPO; and to establish limits in 2016 and 2017 on the amount of bigeye tuna that may be captured by U.S. longline vessels in the WCPO. Read the rest here 11:54
Native Fishermen’s Group Seeks To Close Unalaska Bay To Commercial Trawl Fishing
A proposal to permanently close Unalaska Bay to commercial trawl fishing is up for discussion at an upcoming Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting. The statewide meeting takes place the second week of March in Anchorage, and Qawalangin tribal president Tom Robinson will be there to testify. He will be speaking on behalf of the (UNFA). Robinson says this is UNFA’s third attempt since 2008 to get the proposal – numbered 194 – passed by the Board. In 2013, the Unalaska City Council passed a resolution supporting the plan to close Unalaska Bay to groundfish fishing with trawl gear year-round. Read the rest here 08:29
