State and Local

July 21, 2014 — Andy Gove has figured out a surefire solution to staying warm while lobstering in the icy waters of Penobscot Bay.

“I take my long johns off on the Fourth of July,” Gove says, “and put ‘em back on on the fifth.”

That’s advice from a man who knows what he’s talking about. Gove got his first lobster license in 1937.

“I haven’t missed a year since,” he says.

When he was young boy, his grandfather wouldn’t let him out on the water until he was strong enough to row a boat by himself. So, at age 6 …

“My grandfather tied me to a piece of pipe,” he says, “I remember it being 6, 8 feet long, … and when I got good enough so I could drag it down the beach a little, he let me go.”

On a calm, sunny morning in June, Gove, 84, stands on the spotless deck of Uncle’s UFO – his 36-foot lobster boat.

Gove was nicknamed “uncle” years ago by some of the younger fishermen. UFO stands for unidentified floating object.

He counts the other boats bobbing in the water nearby.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,” he says. “Seven boats ahead of us.”

Read the full story and watch the video from The Portland Press Herald

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. — July 21, 2014 — NBC Sports has a new reality show coming up this month, and the star crew stopped by the 81st Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo to try their luck in the Gulf.

The show is "Fish Mavericks" – the boat, the Fish Circus. Led by Captain Dave Schunke, the motley crew is rounded out by brothers Jerry and Jon Harris, and brothers Rob and Chris Pami.

"I could have picked better fishermen, but I could never pick anybody I would trust more than the group that I have here," Schunke said.

"Mavericks" premiers July 30, and Schunke and his crew have been touring a wide range of waters, catching fish and shooting footage.

"We've fished everything from New Jersey shark tournaments to Virginia Beach tuna tournaments, and then all fun trips in between, from the Bahamas all the way up to Manhattan," he said.

Read the full story at AL.com

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — July 21, 2014 — UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman will lead a university delegation in a Monday session with lawmakers to emphasize the importance of funding fishing research.

UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman will lead a university delegation in a Monday session with lawmakers to emphasize the importance of funding fishing research.

Grossman will be joined by state Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, state Sen. Mark Montigny, UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) Dean Steven Lohrenz, and the chairman of SMAST's Department of Fisheries Oceanography, Dr. Kevin Stokesbury.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the SMAST campus in the South End of New Bedford.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

BOSTON — July 21, 2014 — The House and Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a bill banning the possession or sale of shark fins (H 4088). The bill allows for fins to be removed only for taxidermy or scientific reasons.

The bill, which would go into effect this September, exempts rays, smooth hounds and spiny dogfish from the legislation. It prohibits the possession or sale of a detached shark fin, creating a punishment of between $500 and $1,000 per fin and up to 60 days imprisonment.

The House and Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a bill banning the possession or sale of shark fins (H 4088). The bill allows for fins to be removed only for taxidermy or scientific reasons.

Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican who represents the fisheries on Cape Ann, had joined Sen. Jason Lewis in seeking to curb the “reprehensible” practice of finning that he said goes against the values of the state’s fishing industry.

The bill, which would go into effect this September, exempts rays, smooth hounds and spiny dogfish from the legislation. It prohibits the possession or sale of a detached shark fin, creating a punishment of between $500 and $1,000 per fin and up to 60 days imprisonment.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

July 18, 2014 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN ARTICLE IN WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS: Very good article that appeared in the July 15th edition of the Washington NC paper.
TRADEWINDS: As noted last week, we are delaying the printing of Tradewinds until the General Assembly adjourns. See Jerry's comments for more.

AFFILIATE NEWS:
CARTERET COUNTY FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION: Next meeting to be announced.
PAMLICO COUNTY FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION: Their next meeting will be scheduled when the General Assembly adjourns so Jerry can attend, so stay tuned for more information.
ALBEMARLE FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION next meeting to be announced.
BRUNSWICK COUNTY FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION has not scheduled their August meeting yet.

JERRY'S COMMENTS:
The General Assembly might adjourn next week. I hope so because the August fisheries calendar is BUSY!
First week of August has the NCFA Board meeting and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Second week has the Mid Atlantic Council meeting.
And the third week is the Marine Fisheries Commission.
As noted last week, the next issue of Tradewinds will be delayed until the General Assembly adjourns.
 
Some of you know and some may not, that I serve in a volunteer role as Chairman of the Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition. This coming Monday two legislative candidates will be our guests: Carr Ipock, candidate for District Two, NC Senate and Whit Whitley candidate for District Three, NC House. They are both challenging incumbent legislators, Senator Norman Sanderson and Representative Michael Speciale, who we hope to schedule for our August 18th meeting. Please feel free to attend if you 'd like to listen to the candidates and ask questions. Our monthly meetings are held the third Monday of the month at Golden Corral in New Bern in the evening. Send me a note or call for more details.
God bless,
Jerry
 
MEETINGS:
NOTE: If you are aware of ANY meetings that should be of interest to commercial fishing that is not on this list, please contact us so we can include it here.
 
Aug 4 NCFA Board of Directors; Hampton Inn; Washington NC; 2:00pm
 
Aug 4-8 Sedar workshop on Red Snapper and Gray Triggerfish
 
Aug 5-7 ASMFC Meeting; Alexandria VA
 
Aug 7 SAFMC Public Hearing & Scoping meeting on a variety of issues; Joslyn Hall, MC, 4-7pm
 
Aug 12-14 Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Washington DC
 
Aug 20-22 Marine Fisheries Commission meeting; Brownstone in Raleigh
 
MFC/DMF Meeting Schedule

STONE HARBOR, N.J. — July 18, 2014 — New Jersey Audubon has received $1.28 million from the federal Department of Interior for a two-year project to restore beaches at Stone Harbor Point, however, it could be about 16 months before work can begin.

“The start date will depend upon acquiring the necessary permits,” said David Mizrahi, vice president research and monitoring at NJ Audubon. “We haven’t yet had a start date conversation with our partners.”

On Tuesday, Mizrahi said the original plan had called for restoration to begin this year, though that hinged on receiving the grant by April.

Piping plovers typically nest between March 15 and Aug. 31, and there’s a state ban on disturbing beaches during that nesting period, he said.

“Getting the permits to together begin restoration will take four to six months,” Mizrahi said. “The two months between April and June were critical for us to start this year.”

Yet, even with the delay, the project is good news for the area, according to a press release from NJ Audubon.

Beach building projects are a priority along the state’s coast, because of risks posed to communities by coastal storms and sea level rise, according to the statement.

Read the full story at The Middle Township Gazette 

July 18, 2014 — Maeve Vallely Bartlett, in a letter to NOAA administrators first reported on the website Saving Seafood, stressed the need for the federal agency to quickly complete its review of the Phase I plan that will distribute checks for $32,500 to an estimated 193 eligible permit holders in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is urging NOAA to pick up the pace of its review of the state’s plan to disperse $6.3 million in direct financial assistance so that money can begin moving into the hands of the fishermen who have borne the heaviest financial burden in the current groundfish fishery disaster.

Maeve Vallely Bartlett, in a letter to NOAA administrators first reported on the website Saving Seafood, stressed the need for the federal agency to quickly complete its review of the Phase I plan that will distribute checks for $32,500 to an estimated 193 eligible permit holders in Massachusetts — including 53 in Gloucester.

“I urge you to expedite review of the Commonwealth’s Phase I direct aid so that we may distribute aid to impacted permit holders as soon as possible,” Bartlett, the state’s chief environmental secretary, wrote to NOAA Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck. “Our fishermen need this funding to offset declines in groundfish revenues due to deep catch limit reductions and to make investments to ensure their businesses survive this fishing year and into the future.”

Bartlett’s letter is the most recent attempt by the state to jump start the complex disaster assistance process that began in 2012 when the Secretary of Commerce declared a federal fishery disaster in this region.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

CHATHAM, Mass. — July 18, 2014 — Fishermen said many on the Cape, which once had one of the top cod and groundfish ports in the country in Chatham, didn't qualify for the direct aid.

State fishery officials came into town Thursday night looking for ideas on how to spend $8.2 million in federal aid intended to help struggling fishermen.

For years, the Cape's fishing fleet has suffered steep financial losses as iconic fish stocks such as cod were not rebuilding as expected and as fishermen were dealt drastic cuts in their quotas.

In 2012, then-Commerce Secretary Rebecca Lent officially issued a fisheries disaster declaration in New England. Finally this year, Congress approved a $32.8 million aid package to six New England states, with Massachusetts receiving $14.5 million of the initial two rounds of a $22 million disbursement.

Chatham fishermen at the Thursday meeting were highly critical of the first phase of the aid package, which will soon issue a $32,000 check to each of the 191 qualifying permit holders whose vessels each caught at least 5,000 pounds of cod, haddock, flounder or other bottom-feeding fish, known collectively as groundfish, in any one year between 2010 and 2013. Fishermen said many on the Cape, which once had one of the top cod and groundfish ports in the country in Chatham, didn't qualify for the direct aid. In recent years, they had to fish for other species, like dogfish and skate, because there were no more cod.

"This (aid package) took care of a lot of guys who came into the business in the last three years. They're going to get a lot of money," said Chatham fisherman Mike Abdow. "I sold my permit in 2011 because I didn't get enough quota, and there were no fish out there."

 Read the full story from the Cape Cod Times 

SAN DIEGO, Ca. — July 17, 2014 — With a picturesque waterfront already in place, San Diego will soon have its very own open-air fish market reminiscent of other similar markets around the U.S., including Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

The plan, spearheaded by County Supervisor Greg Cox, was announced Wednesday. Cox said the Dockside Fish Market at the Downtown Waterfront will set up shop at the Fish Harbor Pier, near Tuna Harbor between the USS Midway Museum and Seaport Village.

There, the pier will transform into an open-air fish market featuring pop-up canopies, tables and lots of fresh, local catches for sale.

The market will open to the public for the first time on Aug. 2, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. After that, it will be held at that location every Saturday morning for the next year or so.

For now, the plan is for fishing boats to pull into the harbor and unload their catches onto the pier, which could include fish, lobster, urchins, crab and whatever else they’ve caught in local waters. The fishermen will have to pay a vendor fee to be able to sell their goods at the market, but that dollar amount has not been set just yet.

Cox said the new seaside marketplace will not only give consumers a great deal on fresh fish, it will also bring business to local fishermen.

“There are still a number of commercial fisherman that are out there, they're working really hard, they're bringing their catch in on a daily basis, they're turning it over to fish markets at a wholesale price," said Cox.

"This will give them an opportunity to certainly get a higher price than they would at a wholesale fish market. But at the same time, it's going to be a great bargain for the citizens of San Diego. They will know that it's the freshest fish they can possibly get," he continued.

Zachary Roach is a partner for the open-air market and says his father, a commercial fisherman, has been catching rock crab for 20 years, yet the wholesale price hasn't changed.

"It hasn't fluctuated in giving him more money for the 20 years. But now we can, rather than sell wholesale, we can sell it here for a chunk of money and still be selling it for cheaper than what they would at retail or at a grocery store, so the consumer is getting the better rate too,” said Roach.

Read the full story and watch the video at NBC San Diego