Conservation & Environment

The decision on whether to move forward on a proposal to ban the use of lead fishing gear, which was expected to be made by Nov. 1, has been put off for an undetermined period of time.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering such a ban, which is being pushed by a coalition of environmental groups but opposed by the sport-fishing industry.

EPA spokesman Dale Kemery, after speaking to members of the agency that will make the decision, said the deadline for a decision was Oct. 31 but now it's been delayed to at least Nov. 15.

"I don't have a date at this point. They said soon, but that could mean anything at this point," Kemery said on Friday.

Read the complete story from the Press of Atlantic City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria, British Columbia – 10/27/2010 – Industrial-scale aquaculture production magnifies environmental degradation, according to the first global assessment of the effects of marine finfish aquaculture (e.g. salmon, cod, turbot and grouper) released today. This is true even when farming operations implement the best current marine fish farming practices.

Dr. John Volpe and his team at the University of Victoria developed the Global Aquaculture Performance Index (GAPI), an unprecedented system for objectively measuring the environmental performance of fish farming.

“Scale is critical,” said Dr. Volpe, a marine ecologist. “Over time, the industry has made strides in reducing the environmental impact per ton of fish, but this does not give a complete picture. Large scale farming of salmon, for example, even under even the best current practices creates large scale problems.”

The fish farming industry is an increasingly important source of seafood, especially as many wild fisheries are in decline. Yet farming of many marine fish species has been criticized as causing ecological damage. For instance, the researchers’ found that the relatively new marine finfish aquaculture sector in China and other Asian countries lags in environmental performance.

Read the complete story from PEW.

 

 

 

 

 

As Brewster naturalist John Hay famously chronicled in his 1959 book, "The Run," the spawning cycle of the Atlantic river herring — also known as the alewife — is one plagued with many hurdles.

The National Marine Fisheries Service currently lists river herring as a "species of concern" under the Endangered Species Act. In their migration to their freshwater spawning areas, the silvery fish face many obstacles — blocking of spawning habitat by dams, clogged runs, shoreside development, predatory animals, and pollution in ponds and streams.

But clearly the greatest threat to what has been termed one of America's "founding fishes" is the increasing human efficiency in catching them. Since 2000, the once epic numbers of river herring have dropped precipitously, from over 50 million pounds a year to less than a million pounds in 2009 — a decline of over 95 percent. Unless action is taken, we run the risk of losing river herring populations forever.

Read the complete story from The Cape Cod Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For too long, ICCAT countries have overseen precipitous population declines of bluefin tuna, sharks and other marine species, while illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens any conservation action.

Atlantic bluefin tuna are severely threatened due to decades of overfishing, IUU fishing and irresponsible management. Populations have declined by up to 85 percent since 1970. These fish are hunted commercially to supply the lucrative sushi trade; a single bluefin sometimes sells for more than $100,000. To complicate matters, fishing nations regularly underreport their catches and scientists are forced to provide highly uncertain advice leading to what Pew calls the “crystal ball” approach to bluefin tuna management. ICCAT countries regularly settle on overly optimistic quotas, further threatening the species and the livelihoods of fishermen who depend on them.

Sharks caught in high-seas fisheries are among the oceans’ most vulnerable animals. Their low reproductive rates make them particularly susceptible to overfishing. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually to support the global shark fin trade. ICCAT has set no limits on the number of sharks that can be caught. Sharks urgently need scientific, precautionary management plans in place with catch limits to ensure their long-term survival.

Read the complete story from PEW Charitable Trusts.

 

 

 

 

 

Reedville, as we now know, was a major shipping community for sea products for all North America. Elijah Reed improved the mass processing of the fish menhaden (aka – alewife, pogy, mossbunder) into various forms used for all kinds of things from chicken feed to oils for nutrition & leather tanning to pastry-making to sealing wood. Its magical oil made this little village one of the wealthiest in America many years ago….they called the one street "The Millionaire's Mile". If you look at our location on the Xplot Map and zoom way into the GoogleEarth location you will see the one street and we were docked right at the tip of it.

Everyone says it is a dying place but we found it to be welcoming (the museum volunteers asked us to their weekly BYOB hors d'oeuvres being held tonight) and with a strong pulse. The fish plant seems to be coming back to life.

We fell upon Reedville when looking for a place to spend the night as we southed down the Chesapeake. We tied up to the main wharf which also houses the Crazy Crab House……if I put one hand on the boat and reach out with the other, I touch Crazy Crabs outermost wall (see more about Cr.Cr. above). The owner of it used to fly the spotter planes they used to sight the menhaden (they travel in tight schools that show up as dark spots on the water). The boats would then rush to the spot and push the fish into "purse" nets.

Read the complete story from Sail Blogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The National Marine Fisheries Service will study whether the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has depleted the population of Atlantic bluefin tuna to the point that the food fish should be placed on the endangered species list.

The fisheries service will make a recommendation by May 24, 2011 — a year after The Center for Biological Diversity filed its petition. The center provided enough scientific information to warrant protecting the fish under the Endangered Species Act, the fisheries service said on its website in September.

Bluefin begin spawning in the northern Gulf of Mexico in April — when BP PLC's undersea well blew wild and began spewing millions of gallons of oil — and continue through June. By then, more than one-third of federal waters were closed to fishing because of that oil. The only other place bluefin are believed to spawn is the Mediterranean Sea.

Read the complete story from Lancaster Farming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month, Gloucester-based Capt, Jimmy Santapaolo told Times columnist Peter Prybot that a recent trip to Georges Bank found the best bluefin tuna fishing he's seen in 37 years on the water.

"This is unbelievable," he said. "The longest our baits have been in the water (before a tuna bit) has been 12 seconds."

Another captain, Brian Higgins, told of having tuna nearly "boiling in the chum" right off the boat; yet another, wondering how long it might take to even find tuna in the seas, described quickly spotting two tuna right off the boat's stern, as if following the vessel.

Granted, the fishermen described in Prybot's column had ventured to waters more than 100 miles off Cape Ann's shores. But their findings are far from unique.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of Julie Wormser, New England and Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Program ‬ on Commerce Secretary Locke’s Actions Regarding New England Fisheries Management ‬

Boston, MA (October 14, 2010) – EDF applauds the actions of Secretary Locke today in reconfirming the Obama Administration’s commitment to science-based management of fisheries and to the conservation provisions of the Magnuson Act as outlined in his October 14, 2010 letter to Congressman Barney Frank. ‬

Secretary Locke also advanced the prospects for improved collaboration between NOAA and the fishing industry through cooperative research, fishermen-driven data collection, and improved stock assessments as well as by holding a fisheries science summit in January of 2011 and a request to Congress for an additional $15 million nationally in funds to support these endeavors.

We also appreciate Governor Patrick's commitment to the restoration of New England’s iconic groundfish fishery as well as to a fishing industry that will not survive without healthy, sustainable fish stocks. We look forward to working with him and Secretary Locke, Administrator Lubchenco, the New England Congressional Delegation and the fishing industry to develop a better understanding of our fragile fish resource and identify the best ways to rebuild and maintain our fisheries for generations to come.‬

CAPE MAY — Wind energy officials speaking at a Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting here Tuesday  assured the board that their projects would not hurt the fishing industry.

Dan Cohen, president of Cape May-based Fishermen’s Energy, told the council there are still a number of hurdles on the federal level, so his company is focusing on a pilot project located 2.8 miles off the coast of Atlantic City, keeping it within state waters.

Since the company is funded 100 percent by commercial fishing companies, according to Cohen, they are doing as much studying ahead of time as necessary to minimize the impact of wind turbine construction on any fisheries off the coastline.

An ecological study done by the state stated that the impact of the offshore wind turbines on the marine environment would be “minimal” with regard to New Jersey.

Read the complete story from The Press of Atlantic City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rare and treasured right whales that feed in waters off Cape Cod in late winter and early spring may have their protected grounds expanded as part of a federal process designed to protect populations of endangered animals.

Scientific research shows that it may be necessary to expand three East Coast calving and feeding areas for North Atlantic right whales, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced this week.

The decision to expand the habitat boundaries would come in the second half of 2011. Then there would be a public review of the proposal that would take several months, said Teri Frady, fisheries service spokesperson.

Read the complete story from the Cape Cod Times.