State and Local

NEW YORK — August 5, 2014 — A new fish market and raw seafood bar has opened in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where fifth-generation fishmonger Vinny Milburn and co-owner Adam Geringer-Dunn are determined to fill the void.

Though studies have continuously shed light on the dangers of overfishing and its potentially disastrous consequences for marine ecosystems around the world, the challenge of finding sustainable, responsibly procured seafood remains persistent.

The problem is particularly pronounced in New York City, where independent fishmongers have been rapidly pushed out by large supermarket chains sourcing products that are too often untraceable — or falsely labeled — in order to meet consumer demands.

A new fish market and raw seafood bar has opened in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where fifth-generation fishmonger Vinny Milburn and co-owner Adam Geringer-Dunn are determined to fill the void.

"Seafood is a seasonal product," Milburn told The Huffington Post. "There are reasons why you don't buy certain produce in the winter, because it's not around and it's not ecologically friendly."

Similar logic should consistently be applied to seafood, he says: "We like to trace every piece of fish right down to the boat and the fisherman."

Read the full story at The Huffington Post

 

SAN ANTONIO — August 5, 2014 — What was once an abundant supply of oysters in bays from Port Aransas up past Galveston has taken a succession of hits, including sediment dumps from Hurricane Ike in 2008 and continually increasing water temperatures — along with hypersalinity caused by drought and thirsty inland cities with fast-growing populations.

Add an oyster shortage on the Texas Gulf Coast to the problems exacerbated by the state's years-long drought.
 
But Texas' dry spell isn't the only reason the coastal delicacies are harder to come by lately. What was once an abundant supply of oysters in bays from Port Aransas up past Galveston has taken a succession of hits, including sediment dumps from Hurricane Ike in 2008 and continually increasing water temperatures — along with hypersalinity caused by drought and thirsty inland cities with fast-growing populations.
 
Heightened saltiness encourages the spread of parasites and disease.
 
"Drought plus a growing population equals no water entering the bays," said Bryan Legare, a natural resource specialist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "The reservoirs aren't releasing as much water as they need to for environmental concerns."
 
The shortage is pushing up prices.
 
For Groomer Seafood, a San Antonio-based supplier, it has meant oysters are selling at a higher price.
 
"We still sell quite a bit of oysters. It's just that what used to cost $30 now costs probably $50," said Rick Groomer, the company's president. "It's more of a luxury."
 
He's noticed restaurants pulling back on selling oysters at their bars in favor of using them in entrees.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Houston Chronicle

 

BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. — August 5, 2014 — For nearly as long as the Jersey Shore has been a vacation destination, there has been a desire by visitors to enjoy a "seashore dinner" in such places as Long Branch, Atlantic City, and Cape May.

It was like Christmas morning, solving a Rubik's cube, and the movie Groundhog Day all rolled into one as soon as the Grand Larson III docked at Viking Village.

A seven-man crew – the maximum allowed under strict government regulation – returned Wednesday from five days on the 80-foot steel-hulled trawler, which had gone to a managed scalloping area called the Delmarva, about 50 miles off the coast of New Jersey, and pulled 12,000 pounds of scallops from the deep.

Currently, boats like the Grand Larson III, licensed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, are permitted to harvest scallops in controlled growing areas only 15 days of the year, said Kirk O. Larson, the boat's owner, who is also the mayor of Barnegat Light.

"People wonder why seafood is so expensive . . . but it involves boats that cost lots of money to build and outfit, and $35,000 in diesel every time you go out," Larson said. "It's not an easy business."

While the boat was still at sea, each scallop was shucked and cut – by hand – before being stuffed into a muslin bag and cold-stored in the hold.

And then it was a race against the clock to get the precious bounty – scallops sell for about $25 a pound retail – to the dock so it could be officially weighed, packed in shaved ice, and distributed to various fishmongers, supermarkets, restaurants, and other outlets as far away as San Francisco within a matter of hours. Much of this particular batch was headed to the Great American Seafood Cook-off being held in New Orleans.

"It's like a big puzzle leading up to this moment. . . . So many factors go into it, good fisheries management, timing, a good crew, a good boat, regulations . . . everything," said the ship's captain, Kirk Larson Jr., as he directed the dockside "pack out" that had about a dozen people scurrying between the deck and the dimly lit, wet-floored receiving area. "And it's an in-demand commodity."

For nearly as long as the Jersey Shore has been a vacation destination, there has been a desire by visitors to enjoy a "seashore dinner" in such places as Long Branch, Atlantic City, and Cape May.

These days, whether a vacationer's plans include staying at a beach house and cooking a big fish feast for friends and family, or simply heading to a restaurant, most would agree that dining from the deep should be required eating at the Shore.

"The harvest is bountiful here. . . . It's part of the heritage of the Shore," says Ernie Panacek, general manager of Viking Village, who is in charge of scheduling and operating the "pack outs" for the boats in the marina's fleet.

Quality and consistency are achieved, according to Panacek, through strict state, national, and international regulations that have helped develop sustainability strategies.

Read the full story from The Inquirer at Philly.com

 

BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. (AP) — August 2, 2014 — It was like Christmas morning, solving a Rubik's cube, and the movie Groundhog Day all rolled into one as soon as the Grand Larson III docked at Viking Village.

A seven-man crew – the maximum allowed under strict government regulation – returned Wednesday from five days on the 80-foot steel-hulled trawler, which had gone to a managed scalloping area called the Delmarva, about 50 miles off the coast of New Jersey, and pulled 12,000 pounds of scallops from the deep.

Currently, boats like the Grand Larson III, licensed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, are permitted to harvest scallops in controlled growing areas only 15 days of the year, said Kirk O. Larson, the boat's owner, who is also the mayor of Barnegat Light.

"People wonder why seafood is so expensive . . . but it involves boats that cost lots of money to build and outfit, and $35,000 in diesel every time you go out," Larson told The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/1m9LFti). "It's not an easy business."

While the boat was still at sea, each scallop was shucked and cut – by hand – before being stuffed into a muslin bag and cold-stored in the hold.

And then it was a race against the clock to get the precious bounty – scallops sell for about $25 a pound retail – to the dock so it could be officially weighed, packed in shaved ice, and distributed to various fishmongers, supermarkets, restaurants, and other outlets as far away as San Francisco within a matter of hours. Much of this particular batch was headed to the Great American Seafood Cook-off being held in New Orleans.

"It's like a big puzzle leading up to this moment. . . . So many factors go into it, good fisheries management, timing, a good crew, a good boat, regulations . . . everything," said the ship's captain, Kirk Larson Jr., as he directed the dockside "pack out" that had about a dozen people scurrying between the deck and the dimly lit, wet-floored receiving area. "And it's an in-demand commodity."

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Houston Chronicle

OLYMPIA, Wash. — August 3, 2014 — Billions of baby oysters in the Pacific inlets here are dying and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington is busy spreading the bad news.

“It used to be the canary in the coal mine,” Mr. Inslee said in a recent interview. “Now it’s the oyster in the half shell. You can’t overstate what this means to Washington.”

Or to Mr. Inslee’s ambitions. The Democratic governor, aided by what is expected to be millions of dollars from his billionaire friend Tom Steyer, is using the story of Washington’s oysters — scientists say a rise in carbon levels has spiked the acidity of the Pacific and is killing off shellfish — to make the case for passing the most far-reaching climate change policies in the nation.

Mr. Inslee, who is campaigning for his agenda across the state this summer with oyster farmers in tow, is trying to position himself as America’s leading governor in the climate change fight. But Mr. Inslee does not have the support of the majority of the Washington State Senate, particularly those conservative lawmakers from the rural inland, so Mr. Steyer’s advocacy group, NextGen Climate, is working with the Washington League of Conservation Voters to handpick Democratic, pro-climate policy candidates across the state.

Mr. Steyer’s strategy is to spend heavily this fall to help defeat sitting lawmakers who oppose Mr. Inslee’s agenda and pave the way for the governor to move his policies through next year — an example, his critics say, of the insidious influence of big money from outsiders that makes local elections less local.

“We’re working to give Jay the Legislature that he needs,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the national League of Conservation Voters. “The state senators are the obstacles.”

Read the full story from The New York Times

July 31, 2014 — BOSTON — State legislators and members of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association gathered at the State House on Wednesday to voice concerns about new regulations banning the use of lobster trap and pot gear from Jan. 1 to April 30 off much of the state’s coast.

Part of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s new Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, the new rules aim to eliminate endangered right, humpback and fin whale entanglements with lobster gear as required by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Along with restrictions on where and when lobster gear can be set, the regulations order changes to equipment, such as buoy markings and trap minimums. State officials and industry plan to challenge the plan.

The closure is the first-ever in the plan, said David Gouveia, acting assistant regional administrator of protected resources for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Scott Leddin, a Marshfield lobsterman who attended the rally, said the rules will hurt the lobster industry and related businesses – from bait retailers to fuel suppliers.
“We’re willing to work with these people, but it’s a big hit,” said Leddin, who explained that the industry has already moved to use breakaway buoys and other safety devices to protect whales.

Read the full story the Old Colony Memorial

July 31, 2014 — The following was released by Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers is a non-profit seafood industry trade association representing more than 70% of the participants in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands king, snow, and tanner crab fishery. Our fishermen and fishing families are proud to stand behind Senator Mark Begich in his campaign for re-election to the United States Senate representing Alaska.

Since election to the Senate in 2008, Senator Begich has rapidly gained in seniority and distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for Alaska’s commercial fishing industry and fishing dependent coastal communities. He has led the charge on reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Senator Begich has played a key role in the fight against pirate fishing and he has worked through the appropriations process to ensure that Alaska has the funding it needs to continue the world-class fisheries management it’s known for. Senator Begich has worked across the aisle to develop widespread, bi-partisan support for common sense regulations regarding vessel discharge and ballast water. And above all else, Senator Begich has taken the time to listen to the needs of Alaskans from all walks of life, not just the fishing industry. This dedication to the people of Alaska deserves a second term.

According to ABSC President Edward Poulsen, “Alaska could not ask for a more committed leader in the United States Senate. ABSC is pleased to offer Senator Begich our endorsement in his bid for re-election. As Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard and a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Begich is uniquely poised to address the most pressing issues facing the Alaskan fishing industry and the communities that depend on it. We look forward to working with Senator Begich in his second term.”

View the PDF of the press release here

 

BOSTON — July 31, 2014 — A group of whale watchers expecting only an afternoon tour were forced instead to spend a long night at sea after their boat was snagged by a mooring cable off Massachusetts, officials and passengers said Tuesday.

Boston Harbor Cruises, which operates the whale watch, confirmed that the 83-foot Cetacea strayed into a restricted area, and the company said it was cooperating with a Coast Guard investigation.

Some 17 hours after the voyage began, divers freed the boat early Tuesday and it docked at Boston’s Long Wharf shortly after 8 a.m. No injuries were reported for any of the 157 passengers or six crew members, but a number of people suffered seasickness during the long wait, according to passengers.

The whale watch, one of the most popular summer tourist attractions in the Boston area, came to an abrupt stop about 13 miles offshore Monday afternoon after one of the propellers became entangled with a cable in the Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port, the Coast Guard said. The facility handles large liquefied natural gas tankers entering Massachusetts Bay.

Read the full story from The Boston Globe 

 

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — July 30, 2014 — The Suffolk County Legislature at its July 29 General Meeting unanimously passed a resolution, sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), asking the County Attorney to explore legal action against the Federal Government on behalf of Suffolk’s commercial fishermen to correct inequitable fishing quotas.

Suffolk County has the largest commercial fishing fleet in New York State. Current federally imposed quotas allow neighboring states to take double the amount of fish per vessel than New York’s fishermen. The quota system, says Schneiderman, is based on a faulty and arbitrary methodology that punishes New York’s fishermen for the record keeping practices of a generation ago.

Federal regulation of New York’s commercial fishing fleet began shortly after the Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA) was signed into law by Congress in 1976. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is the lead agency in regulating federal fisheries.

Read the full story from Long Island Exchange

June 30, 2014 — While salmon is still the main species that pollock fishermen are trying to avoid taking as bycatch this summer, there’s another creature that’s been causing problems in the Bering Sea.

Along with their pollock, fishermen have pulled up about 1,100 metric tons of slimy, pink squid this summer. That’s more than four times their catch limit, according to Krista Milani. She’s a biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

"The squid TAC or quota is supposed to last us for the whole year," Milani says. "So it’s quite a bit to be taken already."

Milani says there’s still some wiggle room before fishery managers get worried. A few hundred tons of squid are sitting in reserve, and they can be taken as bycatch.

It’s been a while since the fleet had to dig into those reserves, though. Back in 2006, pollock fishermen accidentally caught half their annual limit of squid in a single week. There were concerns that the pollock harvest might get shut down.

So fishermen signed an agreement to stay out of the zone with the heaviest concentrations of squid — or face fines.

Read the full story and listen to the audio at KUCB