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Monday, December 15, 2008 Coast Guard sends crabbers to portSEATTLE — Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Fir terminated the voyages of three Oregon crabbing vessels and discovered 12 violations last week. The most recent termination took place Thursday when the crew of the Fir boarded the fishing vessel Orca near Yaquina Bay, Ore. The Orca was involved with the Oregon state crab fisheries and did not bear a valid Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act decal prompting the crew of the Fir to conduct a boarding. When it was discovered there were not enough immersion suits aboard the Orca to accommodate all of its crew, the Orca's voyage was terminated and the vessel was sent back to port with an escort from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay. The vessels Thora-S and Sunset were also boarded and had their voyages terminated. Violations the Fir discovered aboard the vessels include: expired emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB,) expired distress signals and expired life rafts. The Fir has also found expired EPIRB batteries and expired hydrostatic releases for EPIRBS and liferafts. "We put a great emphasis on ensuring all the proper safety equipment is aboard these vessels," said Lt. Cmdr. Francis Colantonio, a fisheries enforcement officer with the Coast Guard Thirteenth District. "These guys have a tough, dangerous job, and we want to make sure they get home safe." – Coast Guard press release
As expected, pollock catch cut for 2009Federal fishery regulators meeting in Anchorage on Saturday recommended a deep cut in next year's catch of Bering Sea pollock, the whitefish widely used for such goods as fish sticks, fast-food fish sandwiches and imitation crab. The action was expected and had the broad support of government scientists who study the fish and believe the stock is healthy but trending down. Activists with environmental groups Oceana and Greenpeace, however, called for a much deeper cutback in next year's catch, arguing the commercial fleet is fishing too hard on a stock important not only as human food but as nourishment for sea lions and other Bering Sea creatures. – Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in the Anchorage Daily News
Oregon, Washington fight over Columbia Chinook fisheriesOLYMPIA — Yet again, Washington and Oregon are at odds how to split the catch of the Columbia River's highly prized spring Chinook salmon between sportsmen and gillnetters.
FDA proposal would ease mercury warningsThe Food and Drug Administration is urging the government to amend its advisory that women and children should limit how much fish they eat, saying that the benefits of seafood outweigh the health risks and that most people should eat more fish -- even if it contains mercury.
California report suggest go-slow on ocean powerA white paper commissioned by the state of California says that tapping the ocean for power should be done carefully. The report for the California Energy Commission and the Ocean Protection Council looked at the possible socioeconomic and environmental effects of the infant industry, including what it might mean for fisheries and coastal habitat. – Eureka Times-Standard
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 North Pacific Council wrestles with crab ratzThe North Pacific Fishery Management Council sank most of its energy Monday into the thorny subject of crab rationalization. Crab ratz, you’ll recall, is the new management style that swept over the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands king and Tanner crab fisheries three years ago. That’s when the harvests switched from dangerous derbies to individual shares for fishermen and processors. Like most revolutions, this one was contentious, and the resistance remains strong.
Bush admin seeks to reduce mining buffer areasChanges to a federal rule governing mining in and around sensitive salmon streams and other habitats have drawn fire from Alaska environmental groups. Adopted even as President George W. Bush's administration draws to a close, the new "Stream Buffer Rule" relaxes existing regulations governing how mining companies work in and around active salmon streams. The previous restriction, in effect since 1983, prohibited coal strip mining and waste dumping within 100 feet of streams and other water bodies and was meant to protect not only streams in the mine footprint, but also associated areas around the mine site. -- Kenai Peninsula Online
Smith River salmon stocks looking goodAfter a year of bad news about failing salmon fisheries, experts are quietly optimistic about the numbers of salmon spawning in the Smith River Basin. "With the data we have now I wouldn't try to make any predictions about what next year's salmon count will be," said fisheries biologist Zach Larson. "But there is a good amount of spawning fish in the system." – Crescent City Triplicate
Groups warn about trawl fisheriesVANCOUVER — Where commercial fishermen fish and the type of gear they fish with largely determines the amount of collateral damage done to the environment, according to a new national study. And that damage -- from the destruction of rare coral reefs to the incidental killing of species that are accidentally taken as bycatch -- has to be reduced, warn three marine conservation groups from Canada and the United States. The groups undertook a study that examined the impact of 13 different gear types used by commercial fishermen across Canada, ranking the fishing methods according to the severity of their impact on the environment.– Globe and Mail, Toronto
Shellfish prices down all overSagging prices for the Florida Keys’ main seafood products hardly have commercial fishermen in a merry mood for the holidays. Dockside prices paid for whole spiny lobster have crashed from nearly $8 per pound at the peak earlier this year to less than $4 per pound in some areas, according to fishermen. Fishermen reached by the Keynoter this week said they’ve been paid from $4.25 to $5 per pound — although some reports from Key West said fishermen have been offered as little as $3.50. -- Bradenton Herald, Florida
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Opinion: Protected areas are nice … for sea lionsThere's an old saying that has a lot of truth to it: beware of unintended consequences. We need to keep that warning in mind as Oregon moves toward creating a system of marine reserves. If we aren't careful, hungry seals and sea lions could be the only real winners. –
Rule aims to protect Alaska sea ottersA federal agency is proposing habitat protection for Alaska sea otters in the Aleutian Islands, where numbers have dwindled by more than half in 20 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal issued Tuesday would designate 5,879 square miles of ocean near the shoreline in Southwest Alaska as critical habitat. – The Anchorage Daily News
Feds to restrict use of N. California waterFederal wildlife officials on Monday released new restrictions on pumping water from Northern California, further tightening the spigot on flows to Southern California cities and San Joaquin Valley farms. The curbs, intended to keep the tiny delta smelt from extinction and stem the ecological collapse of California's water crossroads, could in some years cut state water deliveries by half. – Los Angeles Times
Charter guy retires, and it’s your faultCase Harris has announced he will retire his Alaskan Marine Adventures company at the end of this season. The business offered fishing and scenic tours of Alaska.
Marine wiring class offered in SeattleWashington Sea Grant and Port of Seattle/Fishermen’s Terminal are cosponsoring a Marine Electrical Wiring Workshop for commercial fishermen and recreational boaters. Designed for boat owners who want to upgrade their electrical systems, the workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Nordby Conference Room, Nordby Building, Fishermen’s Terminal, 3919 18th Ave. W., Seattle. The fee for the workshop is $80. Space is limited, so pre-registration is advised. For more information or to register, contact Sarah Fisken, Washington Sea Grant Continuing Education Coordinator, at 206-543-1225. – Press release
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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