Tag Archives: San Diego
Port’s Tuna Harbor Proposal Disappoints San Diego Fishermen
Commercial fishermen who expected that a proposed redevelopment of the San Diego waterfront would include land set aside solely for their industry found out Thursday that the Port of San Diego may have other ideas. The flare-up over the future of the waterfront came as the port proposed new zoning designations as part of its Port Master Plan Update process. Along Tuna Harbor, the land that San Diego’s commercial fishermen hoped would stay classified as “commercial fishing” is being proposed as “mixed use,” allowing for flexibility in development instead of being dedicated to the infrastructure and expansion of the commercial fishing industry. Peter Halmay, along with several other fishermen, expressed frustration to port commissioners during a daylong public workshop. click here to read the story 12:27
San Diego’s Commercial Fishing Industry Skeptical Of Massive Port Makeover
There are no metaphors here: The boat isn’t life, the fish aren’t dreams and no deep truths lie hidden among the worn creases and fresh scars on Harris’ hands. His voice, a blend of sea salt and gargled pebbles, isn’t a reflection on the primal nature of man. He’s just a fisherman, having a rough day, and will try again tomorrow. It’s the tomorrow that holds all the meaning. In the city once hailed as the Tuna Capital of the World, Harris and roughly 150 other local commercial fishermen have seen their numbers dwindle against ever constricting catch laws and the crush of foreign competition. Today, in a turnaround, this aging generation finds itself in a position of power: able to make or break a billion-dollar development proposal called Seaport, which seeks to radically redefine San Diego’s waterfront. “There’s a 50-50 chance that we could kill it,” Harris said. But killing it won’t solve their problems. Like every real-life situation, the fishermen’s tale is not black and white. Read the story here 12:04
The government wants more offshore fish farms, but no one is biting
Off the coast of San Diego, America’s eighth largest city, commercial fishermen harvest about 1,100 metric tons of seafood from the Pacific every year. That sounds like a lot. But it isn’t much to Don Kent, who says he can do better with just one fish farm. If Kent gets his way, he would raise 5,000 metric tons of yellowtail jack and white sea bass in a grid of net pens measuring about a square mile, anchored four miles off San Diego in federal waters. The species are prized in Southern California sushi restaurants, which now serve their customers imported fish almost exclusively, most of it from China, Japan, Greece or Chile. The US imports about 91% of its seafood. Whether consumers know it or not, about half of that is farmed in aquaculture facilities much like the one Kent wants to build. While the federal government has permitted shellfish farming for years, it didn’t allow farming of finfish such as bass and salmon until earlier this year. Read the story here 10:41
‘Wicked Tuna’ captains captivate, spur laughs, dollars for Friends of Rollo charity event in San Diego
The first thing you notice when boat captains Dave Carraro, Dave Marciano and Paul Hebert of the popular TV show “Wicked Tuna” hang out: They actually might … gasp … like each other. When the captains sat down for a kickoff event Monday at Bali Hai on Shelter Island for “Tuna Wars II,” though, the good-natured jabs and laughs flow. Carraro, the most consistently successful captain on the show, faux-gloated about his well-appointed boat, FV-Tuna.com. Heber, who guides the underdog Wicked Pissah, pounced: “You don’t like saltwater in the hot tub. That’s a buzzkill.” The response from Carraro: “Paul’s a couple french fries short of a Happy Meal.” The tuna hunters climbed onto local boats Wednesday and Thursday to explore waters on the opposite coast, while raising gobs of cash for Friends of Rollo — the group that helps children embark on saltwater fishing trips. Read the story here 12:26
The Many Problems With the Proposed Fish Farm in San Diego
If you’ve ever driven north on Interstate 5 and passed through the section with industrial feedlots for cattle, you know the smell. It’s unforgettable. Besides the obvious odor, though, there are serious environmental, animal welfare and human health issues associated with these large-scale meat production facilities. Those issues are similar to environmental concerns about offshore aquaculture – or factory fish farms in the ocean. In Ry Rivard’s Jan. 19 story, “State Probing Experimental Hubbs Fish Breeding Program That’s Spawned Deformities, Mixed Results,” he called attention to the prevalence of disease and deformity in hatchery-raised white seabass in a smaller project run by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Read the rest here 22:57
It’s back: dead whale turns up on shore
The dead whale had been towed out to sea starting Wednesday by a vessel working on behalf of the Fallbrook-based Marine Conservation Science Institute, but the carcass never made it quite far enough to escape the strong currents that brought it back to shore at Border Field State Park. Read more here 09:16
Sad news from San Diego – Cathy Driscoll, owner of popular commercial fishing wharf, dies in reported suicide
San Diego’s commercial fishing industry took a major hit today upon learning of the death of Cathy Driscoll, owner of Driscoll’s Wharf Marina at America Cup’s Harbor. According to a source, Driscoll died after allegedly comm
itting suicide in the early hours of June 6. No other details were provided. continued at San Diego Reader
